Getting Started - Finding "My Bike" and Trying It On for Size

There were two things that were important to me when picking out my bike - and I was completely unwilling to compromise on these two things - just ask my husband. First and foremost, I wanted an enduro so that I could go along on my husband's on-road/off-road adventures. Additionally, 1) I wanted to be able to touch the ground with both feet (being 5'4 that wasn't going to be an easy task), and 2) I wanted to be able to pick my bike up off the ground in the event I laid it over (as I was certain I would at some point). I had successfully rode my husband's BMW 650 in a circle in the back yard and that experience with what seemed like a behemoth of a bike was enough to convince me that height and weight were critical if I was ever going to be comfortable and confident enough to take a bike out into traffic. With these two fears/requirements in mind, we set out on a search. And the days passed into months, bikeless. And then one day (three years later) my brother mentioned to me over lunch the Yamaha TW200 - it was small, light, short, etc etc. I was so excited that I texted a link to my husband right then and there, who upon checking it out said he would not buy that "crap bike" that looked like a toy. Sigh. Frustrated, I convinced him to go with me to check it out. And that was when we came across the Yamaha XT250. We took it home that day.

Three weeks later (partially because of our crazy schedules, partially the weather, and partially out of fear), I finally took my bike out for its maiden voyage. Luckily, I took to my bike like a duck to water (no tears, no close calls, no "I cants" much to my husband's relief). I didn't stall once (big success!) and I handled the traffic, country road curves, hills and passing diesel trucks without incident. Its nice to have the nerves of the first time out of the way.

Lessons from my first ride:
1) Always dress five times warmer than what the weather would suggest. Its damn cold out on the road. Damn cold.
2) Always take a hat or other kind of head cover for your "helmet head" when you stop to get coffee, have lunch, etc. Its SCARY what the helmet does to your hair.
3) Give yourself three times as much space/time to break to a stop when you're traveling down hill. My first time pulling off into a vista point while traveling down hill took me by surprise - I almost overshot my turn.
4) Don't forget to enjoy yourself. It was scary out there on my own, but beautiful at the same time. There is something about being knocked around by the wind and pelted with bugs that feel like bullets that is simply magical.

And so it begins....

BLOG. The word itself is odd. So is the thought of me creating one. I never understood why someone would want to read the rants and on-goings of another person, and maybe no one will read this one (besides my husband). But as soon as the idea of buying my own motorcycle popped into my head and I started to do the geeky research that I tend to do when I want to learn about something, I realized that maybe a blog wouldn't be such a bad idea. Its not that I thought that other people would be as excited about me hitting the road as I was, but I quickly realized there was such little real information out there for new riders, particularly women, that I had the opportunity to track my progress and my experiences in a way that may later serve as a helpful resource for other new female riders. And, it will be fun to pretend that people are as excited about my adventures as I am :-) So here goes nothing.